Fort Mill schools move to virtual only; COVID spread possible at several campuses
All schools in Fort Mill will move to online only until winter break because of the rising number of COVID-19 cases and the possibility of spread on campuses, district officials said.
Coronavirus cases have risen in York County and South Carolina in recent weeks to the highest levels since the pandemic began. Schools in Fort Mill have seen a pattern of case counts going up, officials said.
All schools will have only virtual classes Thursday, Friday and Monday, said Joe Burke, spokesman for the district. Monday, originally a holiday, was already a virtual-only make-up day from a cancellation day from earlier in the semester, Burke said.
“The hope is that with the closing of school buildings for the rest of this week, then going into winter break, that we have a better outlook in January,” Burke said.
The district is set to return to regular class schedules on Jan. 4, Burke said.
District officials told parents and students Wednesday on its Website, through email text message, and by social media.
“As positive cases have been reported to the district during the week, patterns have indicated the possibility of community spread in several schools in the district,” the district said in a statement. “This decision was made with the safety of our students, staff and community in mind.”
Teachers will contact parents and students, officials said.
“We understand this may cause challenges for our families,” the district told parents. “We apologize for such short notice but the health and safety of our students and staff is our top priority. Your student’s school or teacher will be in contact soon to provide more information about the virtual learning process.”
Two schools in the district, Fort Mill Elementary and Pleasant Knoll Middle, went to virtual learning earlier this week after case count spikes.
The change district-wide does not impact Fort Mill Virtual Academy students, officials said.
The district serves more than 17,000 students in 17 schools.
This story was originally published December 16, 2020 at 1:33 PM.
